Child in Time
by Mountain King
Summary: A Doctor Who crossover with Space Cases. The Doctor's daughter is still lost in space, looking for adventure and her Dad. When all hope seems lost a misfit crew of kids only slightly better off than her finds Jenny's shuttle. Sequel to The Fire Still Burn
1. Teaser

Child in Time  
Introduction, Disclaimer and Teaser

Introduction:  
Hands in the air, the original plan was that we find Jenny on Earth, without a ship and lost. Only to be found by Buffy and her gang. It never really took of because I couldn't figure out how to get her there. Then came the wonders of Broadband in to my house.

I had a poke around a few archives here and there and found a few shows that I hadn't seen but heard about. One of these was Space Cases. A rather, shall we say almost overly, 90s kids TV program. I stumbled across the first season online and this idea came up. It stayed there and eventually I decided here we go.

This well series of sorts seems to work best exploring some of the more obscure outer edges of Science Fiction. Don't worry if you don't know everything about Space Cases. First of all neither do I and second, as last time, Jenny will be our window.

* * *

Disclaimer  
Space Cases was created by Bill Mumy and Peter David. Doctor Who and all related background belongs to the BBC.

* * *

Teaser

Harlen felt the Christa lurch in the wrong direction again. 'Mr Brand, will you please try to steer the ship in straight line!' Miss Davenport screeched as she was thrown across the command post.

'I'm trying to Miss Davenport, but it's like the ship doesn't want to go where I tell it to.' Harlen grunted as he fought with the controls. It was like wrestling with Radu, taking all his strength just to hold on.

'With your sense of direction I don't blame it.' Catalina cried out.

Commander Goddard was right behind Harlen, 'THEMA, what's going on?' he shouted and Harlen felt his hands begin to give in

'Whatever it is, can you make it stop. I can't hold on much longer!'

THEMA was somehow still on her feet and not being thrown around like the rest of the crew. 'The Christa has detected a familiar, unexplainable, spacial disturbance. I believe it want's you to see it.

Harlen's grip slipped and he was thrown back, knocking him into the commander and sending them both back.

'We're entering hyperspace!' Catalina shouted. ' uh oh, this isn't good, Suzee hold on!

'Forget Suzee,' Bova shouted. 'Everyone hold on to something!' As quickly as the ship launched into hyperspace it dropped out, stopping on the spot. Harlen picked himself up and looked out the front window.

'Oh great. It's back.'

Commander Goddard stood up next to him. 'The white circle! Harlen, Radu, get us out of here!'

'We can't. Look.' Rosie activated the screens. 'Someone's out there!' It was a small blocky transport shuttle floating away from the white circle.

'Ever seen anything like that shuttle before THEMA?'

'No I have not, then again my data banks do seem to have several gaps...'

'Nothing new there.' Harlen said getting to the controls.

THEMA continued; 'However the Christa's sensors tell me that the small craft has been damaged. It has vented life support and the cockpit temperature is rapidly reducing.'

The Commander growled 'Is the pilot still alive?'

'I was detecting life-signs, but they were incredibly weak. They have now dropped below the Christa's sense threshold.'

'We can't just leave them there!' Catalina cried out.

'We won't.' The Commander took charge. 'Harlen, get as close as you can but hold a safe distance from the circle. THEMA and Catalina; use the space scoop to get a hold of the shuttle like a tractor beam. Radu, take Rosie down to the hanger deck. Bova, man the sensors and tell us when we get too close.'

'What can I do?' Miss Davenport asked.

The Commander tried to be polite but even Harlen knew there wasn't much the teacher could do to help. 'Just stand over there and make notes.'

* * *

Radu slid out of the jump tube and rolled to his feet, something he'd always wanted to try but never needed to. That, or someone was always in front of him just when he had his speed up. If he wasn't careful his Andromedan strength would crush someone.

Good thing Rosie was behind him.

It didn't take him long to get to the hanger's hatchway. Radu flicked a switch to tap into the inter-comm. 'Guys, we're at the hanger hatch. How's it going up there?'

Catalina was the first to answer. 'We've re-routed the hyperdrive to the space scoop. we have a Tractor beam but Suzee doesn't think it will last.'

'Then you better be quick Radu.' Harlen stated the obvious. 'I don't think I can get much closer. The white circle's gravity is too strong.'

THEMA cut in. 'Apologies, but I have taken the liberty of activating the Tractor Beam. The shuttle craft should be approaching the main hanger soon.'

'Come on. Come on.' Bova called out. 'We've got red lights on the board.'

'That's not all, the hyperdrive engines are running out of power. We're only going to have sub-light to get out of here.' Catalina added

Harlen finished off the bad news; 'and if we don't get going soon I don't think we'll be able to pull away.'

Radu looked at the hanger controls. 'Harlen, it's almost inside. You can get going.' He closed the outer-hanger doors as Rosie opened the main hatch. The two of them ran inside. It might have been small but the shuttle took up a lot of room in the hanger. He recognised what looked like a cockpit and went for it. Using all his strength he ripped it open.

'Oh no!' Rosie gasped. 'We're too late!' Inside was a young human woman, not that much older than them. She was covered in a layer of frost and deathly pale. The strange thing was how the ice seemed to be creeping over her clothes. It reminded him of something, but what he couldn't tell.

'What's happened down there?' Harlen called down.

'We were too late, she's dead.' Radu said, but he didn't sound convinced. Even to himself.

Rosie was choking back tears 'She's frozen. We didn't get to her in time.' She reached out and Radu suddenly remembered what was eluding him.

'No stop! Rosie don't touch her, whatever you do. Guys I need help, meet me at the quarters as quickly as we can. Rosie, the best thing you can do is open the doors for me.'

'What is going on down there Mr Radu?' Miss Davenport asked.

'I'm trying to save her life. Help me.'

End Teaser


	2. Chapter One

Child in Time  
Chapter One

Authors note:  
I'm exploring some obscure Time Lord (and Lady) genetics early on in this chapter. Just remember that while people from Gallifrey look like us on the outside the inside is quite different.

* * *

'Radu what are you doing?' Commander Seth Goddard almost shouted as he came out of the jump tube. The Andromedan had put the young woman on the medical bed and was almost smothering her with blankets. Seth could still see her face, just. It was covered in a thin layer of frost and her lips had a blue shade to them that wasn't from any lipstick.

Radu looked back. 'Sir, she's freezing.'

'I can see that.' Seth didn't have time for an argument and the woman certainly didn't. He spun to find Rosie in the corner glancing between Radu and himself. 'Rosie, heat her up.' The child's Mercurian heat powers were needed more than ever.

'He told me not to.' She pointed at Radu as THELMA and Catalina followed him.

'No commander, she can't. Please, she's too hot.' He looked around desperately, and then saw the android. 'THELMA! Take a temperature reading, tell them she's going colder. Not warmer.'

The android nodded and quite simply poked her little finger into the frozen woman's ear. 'Radu is correct. The stranger is cooling from her core. Temperature is minus four and dropping slowly.'

'What? How can that be?' Catalina asked but Seth already had the answer.

He'd seen it during the Andromedan wars. 'It's a natural healing mechanism Catalina. Andromedan's, when dangerously ill or starved of oxygen, their bodies freeze. Like hibernation, it can save their lives. Good call Mr Radu.'

'She doesn't look like an Andromedan.' Rosie pointed out. She was right, the young woman looked very much human.

'THELMA, what species is she?' he asked.

The android spun her finger for a moment. 'I... I do not know. She is not human. Or Andromedan. Or of any race I have in my database. I will ask the Christa.' There was a pause. 'Strange, the Christa say's it too does not know. However there is a large data file I cannot access.'

'Incidentally her core temperature drop has halted. She is in a form of natural stasis.'

'The Christa is hiding something from you?' Catalina asked, bringing them back to the point. It was worrying, THELMA was supposed to be their main interface with the strange ship they were trapped on.

'Yes...' she stopped again and suddenly jerked up right. 'Please excuse me, but my memory files of the last few minutes have just erased themselves. Hum. Did you know there is a stranger in the medical bed. Her core temperature is low.'

The four of them looked at each other. There were a lot of strange things about the Christa. It was alive, to a point, and had it's own mind. THELMA was the ships android and could communicate with it but this was the first time it had shown how much control it had over her. Selectively deleting memories at will was not a good sign. Seth decided to be a bit more careful around the android and to dig a little deeper into the ship's background alone.

His musing was interrupted when Harlen called down from the bridge. 'Hate to tell you this but we've got friends out there.'

Seth dived for the internal comm. 'What?'

'A Spung war cruiser, just came out of nowhere and it's closing fast. Bova's got the shields up but I don't know about it.' The ship was rocked by an explosion. 'They're not going to take that for long.'

'Do what you can to out run them. I'm on my way.' Seth punched the destination code into the Jump Tube.

Catalina was already at the other one, 'I'll get to the power room Suzee might think of something.' The girl said, talking about her imaginary friend. When the best hope you had was an underage child who spent most of her time talking to walls you knew you were in trouble.

Thing was, on this ship, that was situation normal and they hadn't ended up dead yet. ' "Suzee" better do it quick. We haven't the power left to keep this speed up for long.' Harlen called back down and the Saturnian jumped down her tube.

'THELMA, stay here. Radu follow me.'

Rosie held a hand up 'What can I do?'

'Help THELMA, just don't try to cook our visitor. It might kill her.' Seth ordered as he threw himself down the tube. Coming out on the other side he ran to Harlen's side. The screen in front was showing a rear view, a great big green flying wing was closing in on them. The central cylinder slung under it's bottom pulsed with a green ring and launched a sparkling green pulse. And another, and again.

'Harlen...'

'No power, we've used it all up.' The young man threw his hands in the air. Seth could read the controls, he was right. They'd used all their reserve energy pulling away from the circle.

'Bova?' Seth asked as two of the three shots blew up on their shields. The small Uranian jumped from his chair as his console exploded.

'Shields are gone, so are we.'

Seth looked around, there had to be something they could do. Anything. 'Yes!' Radu suddenly cried out. 'The last shot missed. The other two pushed us out of it's way.'

'Possibly Radu but we're still dead in space. Another shot and it's all over.' Seth looked up. One last slim string of hope left, he looked back at the controls. 'Catalina, tell me we have hyperdrive power. Throw everything we've got left into it.'

'It's no good commander, There's life support and that's it. Suzee's screaming... I...'

'You did your best.' He said. As last words went these weren't that original but what the hell. 'You all did your best under impossible circumstances. I couldn't have asked, or expected, anymore from an experienced crew. Thank you.'

Davenport looked at him incredulously from the corner of command. 'Is that it? The great Stardog Commander Goddard faces certain death and all you can do is thank the crew?' The woman screeched.

'Any better ideas?' He asked point blank.

'Thanks Commander.' Harlan said sadly. 'I think we all appreciate it.'

The young man's words were echoed by the crew quietly as Davenport kept staring at them like the were from another dimension. If he was honest he'd never been prouder of the lot of them.

Radu coughed uncomfortably. 'Bad timing here, but missile incoming.'

'Think good thoughts people.' Seth muttered before frowning. 'A missile? Spung don't use missiles.' Looking at the screen Seth recognised the projectile as it exploded before hitting them. 'Hell! Everyone down!' The fragments of missile spun out before swooping down at them.

'What?' Harlen asked before Radu tackled him to the floor.

'Shock bombs, they want us alive!' The Andromedan shouted.

'Limpets! Seth growled before the dozen or more pulse bombs clanged against the hull.

There was a blinding flash and a deafening noise, it should have been enough to wake the dead but as it faded no one on the Command Post was left standing.

* * *

Jenny sat upright and coughed, she was cold and not in her shuttle. She also had no idea where she was or how she got there. She had been hunting for that wormhole again, the tiny shuttle was running out of supplies and she would have to land somewhere soon. Then a strange white glowing... thing came out of nowhere.

It was like nothing Jenny had seen before, not that that was saying much. The shuttle didn't have the fuel to out run it but she tried anyway. Something must have drawn it to her because it followed and eventually swallowed her shuttle whole. The last thing she remembered was bouncing around and warning lights flashing all over her control board.

Getting out of bed she shook some feeling back into her hands and hopped from foot to foot. It felt like she'd been in a freezer, it was then she noticed she wasn't alone. A woman with a golden complexion and some sort of light metal armour was on the floor at her feet. 'Hello, I'm...' Jenny trailed off. The woman was out cold but there was more too it than that.

Jenny tapped the metal plate on her head, it rang a lot deeper and louder than it should have. 'Metal all the way through?' She said to herself. 'Must be a robot, and it's not working. 'Jenny looked around again, there was someone else, a small neon pink girl unconscious on the other side of the room.

Vaulting over the bed Jenny took the child's pulse. She was alive and very hot, almost hot enough to burn Jenny's fingers. 'Something very strange is happening on this ship.' Jenny muttered as she blew on her hands. 'And I don't like it.'

The room was around circle around a lit octagon. The bed she'd been in taking up the middle of the octagon, to it's right there were three small tunnels. One led down while two went up.

Opposite was a door, it was half open and split into three parts. The top and bottom parts went one way and the middle the other. Getting her shoulder behind it Jenny was able to force it open.

The corridor outside curved around and the lights were flickering on and off. Something had pounded the ship, damaging everything. Jenny didn't know much about spaceships but she could tell it couldn't have happened long ago.

Picking a direction at random Jenny ran down the corridor. Hearts pounding she passed empty rooms before finding the end of the corridor and a locked door. Jenny tried to force it open without much luck, until there was a loud clang. With a jolt the lock broke and she fell through.

Inside was the ships crew. Slumped around their consoles. Only two of them were adults, the rest were children. At the front of the room a flickering monitor screen showed a large dark green wedge hovering off to one side.

It was another ship, stuck there. 'Oh no. We're still under attack and they're boarding us.' Jenny whispered. The jolt that opened the door must have been their first connection to get on board.

She didn't now how much time she had, but guessed on less rather than more. If they were willing to attack a ship full of children they weren't the sort of people she would want to be friends with. There were two doors on either side of the room and another set of three tunnels at the back. That left three choices; back where she had come from, forward through the other door or wherever the tunnels went to. Considering she had no idea where the invaders were going to come from any was equally likely to get her killed.

Times like this she was her own worse enemy. Cart-wheeling across the bridge she threw herself down the far right tunnel. Flying down the tunnel feet first Jenny lent back and enjoyed the ride.

* * *

Harlen's head was pounding, that was the first thing he noticed. The second was that he couldn't move. 'What happened?'

'Stun bombs. They wanted to capture us alive.' Radu growled from beside him. They had been tied up and put in line on the floor of the Command Post. From further down the line Commander Goddard groaned as he tried to sit up. Only the three of them were awake.

'We called them Limpets back during the war.' The Commander explained. 'Andromedans would use them to capture cargo ships without damaging the supplies. We found a whole grave yard of our own ships after the war ended, I always thought it wasn't in character for your people Radu.'

'It wasn't. It's a Spung weapon for capturing escaped slaves.' Radu spat out.

'Silence!' Bellowed a Spung Harlen half recognised. It's deep voice dripping menace. 'This ship is impressive. Fast, agile and tough. A perfect trophy to take home.'

'I know you don't I?' Harlen asked.

'You remember me boy. Good. I am, of course, Warlord Shank of the Spung Empire. You are my prisoners to do with as I please.' The green lizard like alien tapped his chrome baton across his folded arm. 'We will wait for my men to bring your crew mates here before I begin.'

'I'll never serve a Spung!' Radu struggled. 'I'll die first!'

Shank beat him down with a swift blow from the baton. 'It has been a long time since I had to brake in an Andromedan, but I still know how. By the time I've finished you'll be glad to serve.'

'Don't bet on it. I fought during the war.' Commander Goddard said coldly. 'You're no match for Radu without your toys. Some Warlord, you capture us in a sneak attack just after a rescue mission. What's the matter? Couldn't beat a bunch of flunking students in a fair fight?'

Shank spun on him, bringing his baton up before stopping. 'Good, keep trying to anger me. I have no intention of leaving them alone and you'll live long enough to see them suffer.'' The Warlord hissed, eyes bulging.

One of the doors opened and two more Spung came in. One carrying Rosie and the other pushing THELMA ahead of them. 'These are the only two we were able to find.' The one carrying Rosie grunted before throwing her down next to miss Davenport at the far end of the line.

'We think there might be another,' the other one said. 'But this robot won't answer.'

'Really?' Shank asked before sizing up THELMA and asking with false pleasantness. 'Why is that?'

With a quick "boing" noise the android tilted her head. 'I am THELMA. My name is comprised of:- Techno Human Emulating Machine. It is my duty to help the crew of the Christa. You are not the crew, thus I am not obliged to assist you in anyway. Further more you have invaded the Christa against the crew's wishes. I must find some way to stop you.'

Shank took a deep breath but Harlen could see he was angry, his tail was literally quivering with rage. 'Is there anymore crew on board?'

'I cannot say.' THELMA tilted her head.

Shank snorted. 'If you're programmed not to harm these humans listen carefully. I will kill everyone of them, slowly, if you do not tell me what I want to know.'

Harlen made a decision, one any stardog captain should make. 'Don't tell him anything THELMA!'

Shank turned his crazy eyes to Harlen 'Ahh so there is another human. Good.

'You.' He gestured at one of the Spung with his weapon. 'Go back to the ship and bring a full search party. Find whoever is left before they recover. I will stay here and acquaint myself with the controls.'

* * *

Jenny pressed herself against the column. The tunnel had taken her to a big room with some sort of power generator in the middle, glowing a subdued orange. She might not have been an engineer by training but her time on the Liandra with Na'Feel had shown her she had the knack for it.

The knack, as it were, told her it was flat out of power but recharging. She'd had a look around and read some of the dials. The way they were slowly climbing it would take a while for power to build. It didn't help right now but as soon as she disconnected the other ship it would be very useful.

Jenny had just found the crew member down here when the door slid open and an alien entered. A head taller than her, even stooped over as it was, the creature was green, muscular and wore thick leather like armour. She could tell it had a scaly hide underneath and it carried a long fighting spear. The creature wasn't very stealthy, slapping a long tail on the floor with every other step.

From the way it moved and looked attentively in all the wrong places Jenny could tell it was of low rank and inexperienced. Despite herself all her pre-programmed training kicked in. If she took it out there was a chance it would raise an alarm. It would be far better for her to leave it be, evade detection and find more information before continuing. The unconscious girl with multicoloured hair was already a casualty.

Jenny winced. She wasn't a solder, she was a child. It was Jenny's duty to protect her. Pushing her training back along with the urge to kill. Jenny slid around the column. Smoothly she extended her leg and connected with the invaders gut. Doubling it up.

With both hands she pulled the spear from it's stunned grip and caught it on the jaw with the back. The tough creature was still standing, but stunned. Throwing the staff away Jenny kicked the invader back before connecting with a right cross. Still it stood up, at least for a moment.

Then it's eye's crossed and it fell to one side.

Behind her Jenny heard a squeak, spinning she saw it was the girl. Awake and shaking with fear. She was looking first at Jenny, then at the invader and back at Jenny as if she couldn't believe what she had just seen.

Jenny didn't have time for this. Only an idiot travelled an unknown environment alone. 'There'll be more than one, come on. Quickly.' The girl just blinked in shock. Jenny decided to give her a moment and picked up the spear. The invaders were tough, she was going to need a weapon.

Taking hold of the spear Jenny cracked it across her thigh, snapping about a third off with the tip. It hurt, but she needed it short and as non-lethal as she could get it. Looking back at the terrified girl she was on her feet. Scared half out of her mind, but on her feet. 'I don't know this ship as well as you do. But neither do they, I can help.'

'Okay.' She squeaked out, eyes still wide. 'How did they get in here?'

'There's a big ship outside, I thing they've got an airlock. We need to find a way to get them off this ship and back to their own.' Jenny said as she jogged to the door and looked out it was all clear. 'Lets' go.' She whispered. 'And leave that there.'

The girl was eyeing up the spear tip before looking up. 'Watch out!' she half shouted. Jenny didn't need to think, she felt the shadow behind her.

Given how well it had worked on the other one she threw her elbow into the invaders gut. Once again hitting his soft underbelly. With her stave she smashed him across the temple and pulled back.

With it's head in it's hands she had a chance, striking them across their back she was able to get an arm around and get them in a headlock. A good twist and she could kill it here and there.

Jenny paused. One less enemy to worry about. As simple as that. Any solder would do it, but she couldn't. Once again it wasn't just her Fathers words about it infecting her, changing her. It was deeper, even genetic. Constantly fighting her programmed training and it was still winning.

Before it was too late Jenny held off twisting and pulled down and back. Charging the invader into the floor head first and knocking it out cold.

Getting back to her feet Jenny saw the girl fumble with the spear tip. 'I told you to leave it. If you want to help never do that. Understand?'

She looked down at her hands and threw the blade away. 'I understand.' she winced and got behind Jenny. 'Do you think there's anymore.'

'Of course there are, just non out there that I can see.' Jenny darted across the corridor and looked around before waving the girl over. 'Any ideas?'

End Chapter One

Authors note:-

If it helps, the girl, Catalina, was played by Jewel Staite. The same lass who played Kaylee in Joss Whedon's Firefly. The characters are pretty similar too. There are a few differences but I'll cover those.

Oh and don't forget this is a sequel to The Fire Still Burns. So any skills and insights (like Jenny's knowledge of engineering principles) are carried over. Hope that doesn't confuse too many people.


	3. Chapter Two

Child in Time  
Chapter Two

Harlen would kick himself if he could. By telling THELMA not to say anything he might as well have put a sign up pointing to Cat. The rainbow haired Saturnian wouldn't stand a chance against even one Spung warrior. God only knew how many were on board by now. 'Stupid, stupid, stupid...'

'Mr Brand, calm down.' The Commander said from the bottom of the line. 'They would have searched the Christa anyway. There was nothing you could do.'

'Then why ask in the first place?' Rosie asked.

It was Radu that answered; 'To prove a point. To show they were in charge because they want us to feel scared and helpless.'

'They must love Miss Davenport then.' Bova pointed out and Harlen couldn't help but chuckle and the others began to laugh with him. Their teacher had woken up, taken one look at the Spung Warlord and fainted dead away.

A loud banging from the other side of the command post stopped the laughing. Warlord Shank wrestled with the whole guidance console before flinging his arms in the air. 'These controls are useless.' He turned on them. 'What code did you use to disable them? Speak or I'll butcher the smallest of you first.' Turning on them the Spung levelled his baton at Rosie.

'How could we disable them? We didn't have time before your shock bombs knocked us out.' The Commander said back.

Harlen nodded. 'He's right, your limpet bomb things must have damaged them. Harlen lied. 'That's the first bit of good news all day.' He rubbed the Warlord's face in it.

'Then you'll tell me how to repair it, won't you.'

The Commander chuckled as he answered. 'Love to help there. Really I would, but you see I can't. Our engineer might know how to do it and right now your men are chasing her all over this ship.' Even Harlen knew it was a dangerous lie

When they had first boarded the Christa it had somehow bonded to the five kids. Taking them on as the crew. Not even the Commander and Miss Davenport could use the controls. All Shank had to do was put one of them at a console and it would light up.

The Warlord sneered at them before pulling out a box. 'This is Warlord Shank. The human evading us must be captured alive and brought to me. Now!'

'Warlord, it is I Shiv. I am in what I think is the ships power room. We found her.'

Harlen hung his head, there was ho hope left. 'Excellent. Bring her to Command.' Shank gloated as he walked up to them.

'I cannot. There were two of them I think, I was unprepared and one of them beat me. They escaped.'

There was a long silence as Shank looked at his communication box as if it had bit him. Then in a deadly quiet voice he said; 'What?'

'Cadet Szruck is still unconscious. It was a trained warrior that beat me with surprise and skill. An adult human. There was another, smaller, a child. The warrior was protecting them.'

'You disappoint me. Find them!' Shank bellowed and threw the communication box away. Then he looked up and at the Commander. 'My best warrior and most promising cadet. Both disabled by a single warrior. You said this was a ship of children. What other lies have you told me?'

"I've not lied.' The Commander insisted, 'I don't know what you're men are talking about.'

Shank wasn't buying it. 'I know about your people's special forces. Highly trained assassins and experts. What is one doing onboard this ship? Are you taken them somewhere, what is your mission?'

'We don't have a mission. We fell through the white circle and were stranded out here. We're just trying to find our way home.'

'Then what is an assassin doing on this ship?'

'I don't know.' The Commander admitted.

Harlen knew he had to do something. 'Look, when you got us we were trying to help someone. They were being swallowed up by the white circle, when we got her on board he wasn't awake...'

'She'd been frozen, probably a leak in her shuttle or something.' Radu picked up the story. 'We thought she was dead, then you attacked. Must have woke her up.'

'Talk about karma.' Harlen grinned cockily. 'We save her butt, she saves ours from you.'

Shank lent down, face to face with Harlen 'Even if I believe your story what makes you think a pair of females can beat me?'

'They're doing a good enough job so far.'

Shank stalked across the room and picked up his box. 'Shiv I have a job for you.'

* * *

Jenny poked her head in to the room and pulled the girl with her. 'Right, there's no one in here.'

'Just us three then.' she nodded back.

'Right. The three of us.' Jenny looked around the room. It looked like a lounge with a large window on one wall and a big sofa taking up the middle of the room. The window was blocked with the big green spaceship. Luckily if the other ship had windows they weren't there for someone to look in through. 'Wait, three?'

She nodded. 'You, me and Suzee. I'm Catalina. Urm, hi.'

Pretty name thought Jenny and shook her hand 'I'm Jenny.' she smiled. 'Who's Suzee?'

'She's my invisible friend. She... She says hello.'

'Oh. Hello Suzee.' Jenny didn't know what to make of Suzee but an invisible friend might just be useful later. 'You two wouldn't know why these lizards want to hurt you?'

'They're Spung, they live for war and conquer other people. Haven't you heard of them before?'

'No. I haven't.' Jenny admitted. 'I'm not human and I'm kinda new to all this.'

'You sound human, look it too.' Catalina frowned.

Jenny shook her head. 'I'm not though. I don't know what I am, not really. You see I was sort of an accident and my father doesn't know I'm still alive and I've got to find him.' She blurted out before shrugging. It was strange the way her mouth just ran away with itself. By the time she had thought of something and said it Jenny had another six ideas.

Catalina looked at her for a moment. 'Oh, I don't think he's here.' She said eventually, trying to be friendly.

'No he's not.' Jenny looked out the window. 'If he was he wouldn't let this happen. He'd have stopped the Lizards by now and wouldn't have hit anyone to do it.' She took a deep breath. 'We need a plan, something that doesn't involve killing.'

'I'm all for the no killing, but you... You could have killed both those Spung couldn't you? Why not?'

Jenny looked at the strange girl. 'I, I couldn't. I'm programmed to be a solder, I was created as one. To fight and win at any cost but I know I shouldn't. Every part of me knows I shouldn't. Father said killing infects you, that once you start you just carry on because you don't know how to stop.' Looking at Catalina Jenny took a step back. She wasn't just seeing a small girl, just a bit older than a child. She saw the woman she would become and how she would get there.

The pain and loss, the joy and happiness everything that would shape her in the years to come. Then at the same time Jenny could see what had brought her here. Like her life was one big jigsaw, all the pieces were there at once.

'Jenny?' Catalina asked and the spell was broken. Everything slid back to normal

'Catalina, what you have ahead of you.' Jenny said in wonder. Then, without knowing why, she said; 'You'll be lost for a long time. Remember to hold on, your friends won't forget you and it will all be alright come the end.'

'Jenny are you alright?'

Shaking herself Jenny felt tired in a way she had never felt before. As if some sort of energy had been used. 'I think that's something I'll have to talk to my father about. But first things first, we still need a plan.'

Catalina nodded. 'What's is it then?'

Jenny looked at the ugly green shape that covered the window. 'I don't have one. How about Suzee?'

'Nothing. sorry.'

Jenny smiled. 'Military training. A good plan needs three things. What we have, what they have and surprise.'

'We have a stick.' Catalina said simply.

'And whatever surprise we have's gone when those guys I took down wake up.'

'Suzee says they've got a ship full of bad guys. Right now a plan doesn't look too good does it?'

'No it doesn't. That's why running is a good idea, without power we can't do that.'

'First things first remember. We need to get them off the Christa and take back the ship.'

Jenny nodded, then stopped. Her mind racing as she looked out the window. Lots of little ideas came together in one 'Power, ship and running. Who says first thing first, what if that's last?'

'What?' Catalina didn't know what Jenny was thinking, and it would take too long to explain.

'I have a plan. Come on.'

* * *

Warlord Shank was pacing the Command Post back and forth as Shiv entered through the door nearest to the prisoners. The two small female Sprung he was escorting went first . Like all good females their heads were bowed and they didn't dare look at anything but their feet. Shiv twitched his bruised snout but refused to show weakness. He had already failed the Warlord once, he would have to prove himself worthy again.

'Warlord, these are the scientists you sent me to find.' He said, sketching a bow. He might have towered over the honoured Warlord but height meant nothing.

The Warlord snarled at all three of them. Shiv could see he had lost respect in his eyes 'Good. Shiv take that one to the power room This one will stay here and repair the controls.'

'How shall this one serve you Warlord?' Shiv asked, standing behind the slightly taller one.

'This ship's power is all but exhausted. They will find out why and repair what ever the damage those that defeated you have done.'

'As you command.' Shiv bowed again, ignoring his bruised underbelly. Reduced to escorting females. He had to redeem himself and soon or he would never be respected again. Taking the scientist by the back of the neck he half dragged her out of the Command.

Disgraced he threw her ahead of him. Down the twisting maze like, wide, corridors. He kept a careful watch, the human warrior could easily be hiding around any turn. They knew the ship, it's layout and how to get around.

He had learnt the hard way just how dangerous they were, Shiv wasn't going to give them another chance. 'Move female.' Shiv ordered pointing them in the right direction.

Mutely she nodded and stumbled over her feet. Fortunately the Power Room wasn't too far from Command. He stopped the female by grabbing the back of her neck.

'Here. Wait.' Shiv was an experienced warrior, he knew how fellow warriors thought. There was only the smallest chance they would come back here, exactly why he was careful. The doors three sections slid open, showing the yellow and orange organic Power Room. It was empty and now he looked a fool.

He snarled and turned to the cowering female. 'Get in there.' She took one step forward and then two back. She had seen something.

Shiv turned back to the door. The small human that had beaten him before with yellow hair had appeared in the doorway. She waved at him with a big silly smile, 'Hi again.' Before he could react the waving hand became a fist that came right across his snout.

Shiv stumbled back and brought his hands up en-guard for another blow. Instead of a swing she kicked him in the underbelly, as he doubled up she hopped and brought her other knee up into his jaw.

Shiv was seeing stars, his vision blurring. This wasn't possible, twice now she had surprised him. He didn't even feel the wall he'd been thrown backwards into. He fought the dizziness back and made it to his feet. Head still spinning.

He wasn't going to lose again, but as soon as he looked up Shiv knew he had no say in the matter. The human's fist was already coming down from above and it was only getting faster...

* * *

Jenny recovered her balance from the haymaker punch and shook her hand. The knuckles were throbbing but the lizard was out cold and would be for a while. Looking at him again she was right, it was the same one that had caught her at the door last time.

'How... How did you know he was coming?' Catalina asked poking her head around from the column.

'I didn't.' Jenny admitted. 'That was just the worst time for someone to walk in on us and I had a hunch.' Jenny turned on the cowering lizard, they were trying to hide behind their hands and curl up into a ball. 'What's up with her?'

'Spung don't respect girls. She's probably terrified.'

'Well that's stupid.' muttered Jenny sizing up the lizard. About the same height as her Jenny couldn't help but feel angry, someone had beaten the spirit out of the cowering woman. 'You don't want to be here. Turn around and run away. Now.'

Jenny felt a little disgusted at the way the woman didn't even put up a fight as she turned and scampered away on all fours. 'What did they do to her?'

Catalina shrugged; 'Don't know. Suzee say's she doesn't want to and I agree with her.'

'It has to stop.' Jenny looked down the direction the lizard had retreated down. She had another flash of inspiration. 'It will one day. There is nothing they can do about it.' Again, as quickly as it came, the flash of insight vanished. Changing the subject 'How we doing?'

Catalina grinned. 'Suzee says it's all in hand. We'll be fully recharged in less than an hour.'

'Right then, come on. It's time for the best part.'

'What?'

'Running!' Jenny grinned and took flight. 'This way to the main hatch, right.'

Catalina was just behind, Jenny looked over her shoulder and saw the girl nod and then pick up her pace. Jenny slowed down to let her take the lead. Two quick corners later they were at the main hatch.

There was a guard, unsurprisingly it was the sort of guard that had been bred big and stupid. Without braking her stride Jenny jumped into a double footed drop kick as high as she could get it.

Knocking them over Jenny rolled to one side and piked up their spear. Throwing it away she turned to face him. He was already finding his feet again, she took a step back just in time to hear Catalina shout; 'Watch out. He's getting up!'

'Noticed.' Jenny held a hand to tell her friend to stay back. 'But thanks.' The big guard growled and threw his arms wide, ready to wrestle her. Jenny ducked under his grab and rolled way again. He wasn't fast but he knew how to use his size, in a wrestling match he'd crush her.

That wasn't good. Her main advantage was speed, getting under their reach and hitting the weak points of belly and nose. Fighting like this he'd crush her if she tried going for those points.

Jenny was back on her feet and paused. The guard was still swinging at where she had been. So big, strong, slow and fast. Jenny grinned, your average guard.

Things might not be as bad as she first thought.

* * *

Seth grinned as the female Spung stammered a report. Who ever it was they had picked up was running a one woman commando operation and doing a good job of it. Something that was driving the warlord wild.

Shank was shaking with rage when he asked. 'How? How can two human females do this!' He raised his hand and struck the cowering technician.

'Because you underestimate them Shank.' Seth growled. 'Your culture's spent centuries grinding half your population underfoot...' He knew he was saying too much, but the chauvinism of the over grown iguana had caused something to snap inside him. 'You sicken me Shank. Beating your own like a child having a temper tantrum, what gives you the right?'

'Be quiet human, or I might remember I have no reason to keep all of you alive.'

'Threaten me all you want Shank. I don't care, our passenger has shown she's more than enough for you. Whatever you do to us I'll know that in the end you'll have lost.' Seth squared his shoulders as the Warlord hit him.

Spitting blood the Commander looked up at the towering Sprung. 'What? Was that your witty comeback? Pathetic.' Seth was pushing it too far but he knew he didn't have much choice. Shank punched him again.

He had to keep the Warlord's attention on him, keep him enraged so he wasn't thinking properly and stop him from taking that anger out on the children. His crew were trying to fight their way free, shouting for the Warlord to stop. He didn't.

Blow after blow Seth felt like a punching bag. Grey fuzz clawing into his vision as a rhythmic buzzing started.

He must have blacked out for a moment because the next thing he knew his abused face was pressed against the floor, the Sprung breathing heavily and looking down on him.

It took Seth a moment to realise the bussing was still there and it was the comm device making it. 'Yes, what?' Shank shouted into it. It seemed to be his main way of answering it.

'Warlord; it's the seer. She has had another vision!' Said the box, This got Seth's attention.

The first time they had met Shank he'd been chasing after a adolescent Spung girl with the strange ability to see a short distance into the future. They had wanted her as a weapon, but she escaped. Or so they had thought. They must have captured her later and were now using the gift.

'What has she seen? Speak.'

'She speaks in riddles Warlord. To those who aren't there. She is trying to warn you of a great danger. She says that; "the child of the storm is here" and that "he watches over her".' There was a pause before the Spung on the other end continued. 'She started speaking in a strange language, but I recognised a bit of it. "Ka Faraq Gatri"...'

It was at that moment Seth saw something he never thought he would. Blind terror on the face of a Spung. Those three words had Warlord Shank petrified. 'No... no, she is babbling. You have heard wrong, there is no such creature. He never existed, understand. Space legends, that's all!'

'Y... yes sir.'

Seth looked up. Ka Faraq Gatri, he'd never heard of it or them. Whoever they were if they could terrify a Spung like that he wasn't sure he wanted to meet them. Shank looked down at him; 'No more delays, tell me how to work this vessel or the girl-child will be the first to die.'

End Chapter Two


	4. Chapter Three

Child in Time  
Chapter Three

Sgian took his hand off the transmit button and looked back. With a flick of his wrist he ordered the two attendants to look after The Seer. The girl had lead them on a chase thought out the depths of space for months, after her powers first developed. The Warlord wasn't going to let her slip though his fingers again.

They had chained her up, kept her docile and even then The Seer was defiant. Refusing to use her gift as was right. Sgian sneered at what she had become, had she behaved they would not have been forced to drug her into submission. Right now she was rocking quietly on one side. The power of her visions had a draining effect on her and her recent episode had been quite taxing.

If she saw the truth then it was no wonder. Ka Faraq Gatri was a space legend, passed on from traders and old tales. A man, a single man that stood before the great empires of the universe and could cause their collapse with a merest look. Sgian never truly believed in the stories, he didn't think anyone did, but this was a Seer. What she saw came to pass and it would do soon. She physically couldn't lie and in all of recorded history their visions had never been wrong.

She was not the first Seer, nor the second. Their coming was the sign of great wars ahead. Every expansion of the Spung Empire had come during their presence. The Warlord had confided in him just how important this Seer was, they were the reason for the Spung Empire's successes over the centuries. The tactical advantage was enormous.

They could sense surprise attacks, predict ambushes, even pluck the enemies battle strategies from the air itself. For all that power to be delivered into the hands of a girl, it was almost insulting.

Sgian's self reflection was cut short by a knocking on the hatch way. He opened it and looked down. A human girl child with rainbow hair stood there, on either side the guards were knocked out. 'Wha...?'

'Hi.' the human waved and then screamed. It was a scream of rage and power, not fear. It tore at the air, so powerful that it hit Sgian with a physical blow. Picking him up and throwing him across the cell to crack his head against the back bulkhead.

* * *

Jenny poked her head around the corner and pulled her fingers out of her ears. 'Wow, you weren't kidding. You can handle these guys.'

Catalina coughed delicately. 'Ow, I think I over did it.' she managed to say as they slipped into the room. Dragging the guards inside.

Jenny cast a professional eye over the room. There were three others, one of them chained up and the other two were cowering behind them. 'How did you do that?' she asked.

'I'm a Saturnian.' Catalina replied. 'Back when Earth was colonising our system we were given genetic enhancements. Because of Titan's dense atmosphere my people were given sonic powers.'

'Nice.' Jenny said as Catalina suddenly went pale;

'Elmira!' she cried and dove for the chained woman's side. 'Grozti! What happened?' Jenny came to her other side, cursing herself that she had been looking for threats, not people that needed help. The chains were heavy set with big crude locks. She had to do something about it, a quick hunt and Jenny found a metal spoon.

Catalina checked her friend over. 'She's so out of it.' Then she pointed at the spoon. 'What's that for.'

Jenny broke the spoon in half, giving her a point to work with and played about with the lock. As it was crude it didn't take long to pick. If she had to guess Jenny felt they were more for humiliation than restraint. Absently Jenny realised she had forgotten about the other two. They were still cowering, now trying to hide behind their hands. 'You two.' She said not trying to hide her scorn. 'What were they doing to her?'

'S... She is The Seer. She sees the future.' One of them answered, almost too afraid to not talk.

'Elmira would never help you.' Catalina almost shouted, making the two of them practically shrink back into the wall.

Jenny threw the chains away and held Elmira's head up. She wasn't an expert but it looked like the aliens had gone as far as drugging their prisoner. 'I don't think they had a choice.' She said to Catalina as Elmira's eyes swam into focus. 'They've given her something.'

'My... My Lady forgive me.' Elmira whispered, fighting whatever was in her system. 'I tried but I... I couldn't.' Jenny tried not to show her shock. The Sprung had recognised her as a Time Lady, but how.

'Elmira, it's me Cat. Come on we have to get out of here.'

Jenny had to agree, Elmira must be an example of what happens to a Spung girl if they stood up for themselves. Jenny was already angry, now she knew something had to be done. Together Jenny and Catalina helped Elmira up to her feet and got her out of the dank cell and into the cramped green corridor.

Spung warships were, in Jenny's opinion, ludicrously small. She could understand why but compared to the Christa the halls might as well be shoe boxes. Catalina banged her elbow and cursed. 'Who built this thing, Leprechauns?'

Jenny laughed. 'No, I think it's to stop people. This place is like a maze and you can only get one or two people around at a time.'

'That's a good question Suzee; Then how did we find Elmira?' Catalina asked her friends question. Jenny still didn't know what to make about the invisible friend. Last time she had come across someone that was supposed to be invisible she was able to see it. It didn't mean the other girl wasn't there, there was just something strange about them.

Speaking of strange 'I don't know.' Jenny admitted. 'I just knew that we had to go this way. It was the way to go.'

'My Lady, saved me. Thank you.' Elmira muttered and tried to pick up her feet. It didn't do much good, but it was a good sign.'

'What's with the "My Lady"?'

'It's my people. We're called Time Lords, or Ladies depending.' Jenny knew that much, but didn't want to admit that was about it and was quiet.

'A planet called Time.' Catalina though wasn't going to give up. 'That's a strange name.'

Jenny tried a shrug but couldn't manage it carrying Elmira. The former prisoner, however, had the answer Jenny didn't. 'They are not from time... They are of time.' Elmira managed before slumping. As if she had used up all her strength.

Jenny checked her pulse. 'She's alive, but drained. She must have fought back with everything she had.'

* * *

Commander Seth Goddard struggled to stand again. Again the knots tightened around his wrists and feet, an old trick but very painful. 'What is this Ka Faraq Gatri? For a space legend you sure look worried Shank.'

The Warlord hissed; 'Ka Faraq Gatri. I am not surprised you do not know. If you think he brings hope you are fool. It does not matter why he is here, all he brings is death and destruction. Ka Faraq Gatri means the Oncoming Storm. A storm that tears whole planets and systems apart.

Seth could see it in the Sprung's mismatched eyes. He meant every word. Worse still he had heard of this Storm character. It was the planet destruction that clinched it. A world called F'Ting-ra, stories said that it was once the home of a star empire that started with the best intentions.

Those intentions were corrupted over centuries. They said that instead of collecting knowledge F'Ting-rans began hoarding it. Then the Storm came and over night the star empire fell. How the whole planet was torn apart no one knew, all that was known that somehow someone had done it. Every finger pointed at The Storm, whoever that was.

As good as it was to have help causing havoc out there, just what that help cost and what they wanted in the end. Seth, for the first time, had a sinking feeling.

Shanks radio spluttered into life. 'Warlord.' The grunt on the other end reported. 'A commando has infiltrated the warship. They have taken the Seer, I have dispatched security teams to find them and closed the walkway to the alien ship.'

'They have got on to my flagship and kidnapped the Seer right from under your snout?' The Warlord said in disbelief. 'Impressive, I want them here as soon as you find them. They deserve to be dealt with personally.' Seth gaped openly, what were they thinking? Marching onto a Spung warship with only Catalina as support, were they insane?'

* * *

Elmira forced her eyes open and the ship swam into focus around her. 'Are you alright?' It was Catalina, she was hovering like a over attentive nurse.

'My head, it feels like it's been stuffed with packing material.' Elmira could feel her mind slowly clearing. 'Where is my Lady?'

'Jenny is scouting ahead. We don't want to run into Sprung warriors.' Cat chuckled 'I feel sorry for them, you haven't seen what she can do.'

'I don't need to.' Elmira smiled.

'You can see her? I mean the future and her?'

The young Seer shook her head. 'I'm too tired to do that. But I know her kind. My people are no match for her.'

'That's what I don't understand. How is she your Lady?'

Elmira took a deep breath. 'I see the future as if it is on the other side of a cloud. Faintly. Somethings are stronger than others but I can only see a short distance.' She searched for a way to describe it. 'If Harlen Brand drops a hammer I can tell if it will hit his foot or not.'

'Knowing Harlen that's not that difficult.' Cat laughed.

No it's not, but my Lady can tell you why he would the hammer.'

Cat blinked and frowned for a moment. 'I don't understand.' she admitted.

Elmira sighed. 'We all have multiple destines. We chose those destines by what we do. Some things we can change, others we can't. I can only see that which is in motion, my Lady can see so much more. Where I see one strand she can read the tapestry.'

As she said that her Lady ducked her way around a blind corner. 'I was right, there were a few guards. They won't be getting in anyone's way for a while. I also found our objective and dealt with it. We just need to get out of here and finish the plan.' She finished with a smile and looked to her. Elmira could feel the weight of destiny in that look. The merest glance and the universe unfolded before her Lady. 'Do you think you can stand.'

'Maybe, my Lady, but not walk.' As it turned out standing was a problem too. As soon as Elmira got her feet and tail under her all her blood rushed from her head to her toes. The narrow hallway spun and she had to steady herself. 'I'm sorry my Lady.'

Suddenly the blonde Time Lady was under her arm, taking her weight without a second thought. 'No problem, and do me a favour. Stop calling me your Lady. My name's Jenny and I like it.'

Elmira knew better than to say anything and just nodded. Slowly the three of them sneaked out. At least Elmira thought it was out, but turning corridor after corridor even she was lost. Then, finally they came to an oversized door.

It lead to the main hanger. 'What are we doing here?' She asked as Catalina rewired the doors.

'All will be revealed.' the Time Lady said mysteriously. 'Now Catalina are you and Suzee sure you can fly an interceptor?'

'We should, unless we're going to need a tail for something.'

Elmira frowned; 'We can't run, Radu and the rest of the crew of the Christa...'

'Trust me' Jenny said with a smile. 'The Warlord will be far too busy trying to catch you than bother with their ship.'

'I don't understand.' Elmira admitted as Cat took her arm off Jenny and half dragged her into the nearest interceptor.

'Don't worry I'll fill you in.' The rainbow haired girl struggled. 'This would be really great if you could help Suzee.'

Looking up the Seer could hardly believe her life was in the hands of a girl who still talked to her imaginary and invisible friend. It took her addled mind a moment to notice that Jenny had disappeared.

* * *

Jenny lent around the corner. She looked back down the hallway they had come from and winced. A dozen heavily armoured Spung were following them and they weren't being subtle about it. Taking her stave and jamming it into the big doors lock the bulkhead slid shut with a solid clang.

They had to have heard that, but Jenny couldn't let herself be captured not. Yet anyway. Using her gymnastic skills and the handy hand hold she had just set up Jenny climbed to the top of the corridor, wedging herself in the topmost corner nearest the bend back into the maze of corridors.

The twelve Sprung warriors stomped into the anti-room with all the stealth they could muster. One of them balanced his spear against the wall beneath her and pulled out a crude radio. 'Command, where are they?' they growled

'No new reports.' came back an even deeper voice.

The one with the radio bullied his way thought the gang and banged on the heavy door. 'They're in the hanger.' Pulling at the stick in the controls he tried to get trip the mechanism and get them to open. With luck he might be able to do it, failing that he'd call an engineer and they'd be able to fix it all too quickly.

Jumping with cat like grace Jenny landed behind a warrior and picked up the discarded spear. Stepping out into the corridor she spun the spear in her fingertips and whistled sharply. 'Hey you'll never find me with heads in the clouds.'

As one they turned and charged after her, pushing against each other in a mad scramble. The idea of narrow and maze like corridors was a good one but it had one major problem. It hampered the defenders as much as the attackers. Something Jenny was going to demonstrate.

With a champion throw the spear she had borrowed flew through the air, embedding itself in the lead Sprung's leg. They screamed in rage and pain, clutching the shaft. Behind him all his friends were trapped, he couldn't walk with that sort of wound. They worked as a bottleneck, the trick wouldn't hold them for long but it should give her enough time to get out of there.

Running down a blind corridor she picked her way through the ship. The more turns she made the better idea she had as to how the ship was laid out. Still it wasn't easy and if she didn't keep track of everything she'd get lost. The more difficult it got the fun it became.

Jenny could feel her hearts firing in perfect rhythm, neurones firing in sequence. It was fantastic. Still she couldn't let her self be distracted by that, she had to save her new friends.

The next corner she turned was both the right and wrong way. It was the right way because it led to another anti-room, she could read the label above the door. It was main weapons control as Jenny hoped. What was wrong with the anti-room was that the Sprung had second guessed her. The eleven Spung that she had left at the hanger were there. Spears levelled and snarling.

'Get lost?' the leader asked he smugly

'Kinda, you should really put up signs. You wouldn't have had to wait.' She quipped back, putting her hands behind her head.

He chuckled; 'You're lucky female. The Warlord wants to talk to you, where are the others?'

Jenny shrugged, keeping her hands still. 'Left them behind to draw you off. I don't know where they are.' She lied easily, so far so good.

* * *

Harlen looked to the Commander. He had to have some sort of plan, something. Then the door to the Command post opened and their guest came in. Hands in the air a whole army of Spung warriors had her at spear point. She smiled a thousand megawatt smile and waved 'Hi I'm Jenny. Thanks for saving me by the way.' It was like she didn't even notice the fact they were all captured and about to be killed.

'Jenny is it?' Shank snarled in a urbane manor. 'How nice of you to join us.'

'I guess I must have lost my invitation.'

'I'm afraid not,' Shank picked up his baton. 'You're an unexpected guest, but welcome all the same.'

She smiled some more 'Well isn't that nice of you.' They were being incredibly polite to each other, Harlen couldn't believe it. Still underneath the smiles and curtsy both were ready to tear strips off each other

Shank tipped his head to her, but never once blinking. 'But there were two other guests. Where would they be, you wouldn't happen to have any idea would you?'

'Elmira and Catalina?' Jenny's smile became a smirk as she pointed at the main screen . 'Oh, sorry to disappoint they're with Catalina's friend Suzee. Borrowing a Spung interceptor from your ships hanger. Those things do have hyperspace drives don't they?' she asked.

Shank looked stricken as almost on cue a small green fighter screamed past, tilted it's wings and flew off escaping across space. His radio squawked to itself as the Warlord raised his baton, a blue haze shone from it as it charged up.

'Ah.' Jenny held up a finger and the guards that had followed her in took a step closer. 'I wouldn't do that. Not yet.'

'And why not?' Shank snarled, his tail quivering. Whatever smear of civil behaviour he had vanishing. He spared a moment to glance at the rapidly vanishing interceptor.

'Because you haven't asked yourself why I was captured.' Jenny said simply, tilting her head.

The Warlord lowered his weapon, pointing the red globe on top at her. With his free hand he answered his radio. 'Ship commander, pursue the Seer. Capture her at all costs, I will remain here.' he clipped the radio back to his belt and looked down on the girl 'Then why don't I ask you why you were captured?'

'Good idea. You see I don't want to kill any of you, not without giving you a chance. So I thought it would be only fair to point something out to you and your army here.'

'What?' The Warlord snarled and Harlen watched the Spung warship chase after the interceptor.

The blonde woman turned to THELMA 'You're the ship's android right, that means you can tell what's happening with the systems.' THELMA nodded. 'Good, what did we do to the proto-mix core? After disabling all the alarms and safety measures.'

THELMA's head jerked from side to side as she processed the request. 'The proto-mix generator has been looped with the secondary power nodes via the primary heat conductor valve. All safety measures have been bypassed and power links severed. The Christa will explode in... four minutes.'

Harlen felt his jaw drop, everyone looked at the smiling blonde woman. 'With the force of a small sun.' She explained. 'What are you going to do Warlord? Chase my friends or have your ship come back and save your life.'

End Chapter Three


	5. Chapter Four

Child in Time  
Chapter Four

Authors note  
I know this one has been a while but Writers block is a pain. Still we're into the final stretch now. Time for a guest star.

* * *

Seth Goddard couldn't believe what he was hearing. 'Are you trying to say you're going to blow up the ship?' she asked her incredulously.

'Of course she will.' Shank hissed, the commander could see him re-evaluating her. 'A clever plan, manoeuvre me into isolation, steal the Seer and then kill me. Possibly taking out my command ship in the process of my rescue. Ambitious.'

'Thank you. I liked it.' Jenny admitted to Seth's shock. She sounded impossibly, well, chipper was the only way to describe it. A lopsided smile hovering on her face. 'You're too dangerous. My life is worth it. If only to save you from attacking more helpless peoples.'

Shank just laughed. 'I would never have thought humans capable of that kind of casual sacrifice. You impress me girl. That's hard for a human, all but impossible for a female...'

'Again with that female thing.' Jenny interrupted. 'What's with you Spung and women? Are you that afraid of us?'

'Afraid?' Shank almost stuttered. To Seth's amazement there she was about blow up the ship and she was goading him. 'There is nothing I fear girl.' Shank shouted at her before visibly calming himself and looking at her slyly. 'Still the tactician child. Delaying me from calling my warship back, admirable. There is however one problem with your plan. I will not be calling my ship back.'

'Sure about that?' Jenny prodded. 'You still have a chance to get out of here.'

THELMA took the opportunity to tilt her head again. 'Information, three minutes until proto-mix overload. All safeties have been disabled.'

'Oh what a shame, we're running out of time. Or should I say you are the one's running out of time.' Shank cooly walked over to stand next to the ships android. 'Tell me,' he asked the whole command post. 'Have you ever heard of a Transference Beam?'

'No you can't have...' Seth gasped in shock, the rest of his crew hadn't heard of it, nether had their guest from the look on her face.

Shank turned on Seth. 'Perfected it? Why yes, we have. You see I do not need to call the ship back. We are still well within range of our location transponders.' He reached for his thick belt again. 'There is one or two things I should do before going though.'

With a grand gesture he lunged his baton forward. An arc of red lightning lanced out, catching Jenny above the heart. The blast sent her flying back, crimson bursts scattering from the deck when she landed limply. 'Just incase you do have some way out of this trap you weren't going to tell me about.' Shank chuckled to himself. 'As for the android...' he swung the outstretched baton in a backhand. Knocking the delicate jewel vital to her operation out of it's housing and across the room. Seeing the only two people that weren't tied up as good as dead Shank touched a hidden button on his belt buckle. All the Spung in the command post wavered for a moment and phased out of existence.

Seth didn't waste a moment and began to struggle against his bonds. 'We have to get free. There must be something...' he grunted, falling on his side painfully

'Face it Commander' Bova sighed. 'It's hopeless.'

'For once he's right about that Commander.' Radu agreed with the ever depressing Uranian. 'These bonds are too tight, I can't get free in time.'

'You know I never want to agree with an Andromedan' Harlen struggled briefly before giving up himself. 'But this really is the end.'

Seth sighed in defeat. They were right, it was the end. Even if they did get free there wasn't enough time to get out of there. Half a second later he was almost scared to death when Jenny's eyes opened. 'Come on guys, think positive.' She smiled at them and flipped to her feet. 'That stung by the way, didn't know he could do that.' Bushing the burn mark on her green top the young woman dashed behind Harlen. 'You're the pilot of this thing right. Get up there and set a course; zero-five-zero by one-four-zero from your nose.'

As she helped the young man up and on his feet Harlen pushed her away. 'That's not gong to do much good. We've got a minute before we all go up like a nova. Thanks to you.'

'I had to get him off the ship somehow, I'll explain everything but we need that course. Now'

Seth knew at that moment never to play minbar chess with their guest. She'd planed all this, right down to Shank escaping. 'Do it Mr. Brand.' He ordered, rolling on his back and letting a smile spread across his face.

All that power from the overload had to go somewhere and he had a fairly good idea where it was going.

* * *

Shank reappeared on his cramped Command Cabin. There were three consoles in the small room. His own, helm and weapons. Other consoles were scattered throughout the ship, but everything that happened on the great warship was overseen by this hidden room. 'Follow my daughter, but first take us to a safe distance from the other craft and wait. I want to see it detonate.'

'Yes Warlord.' The helmsman obeyed. It was a shame Shank would lose his possible slaves, but at least he got to witness the spectacular failure of the girl's plot. The wall-screen flickered into life showing the strange craft hanging in space.

No not hanging, it was turning away from his ship. They had repaired the controls. How? There was no way they could have escaped their bonds let alone have time to repair the ship. There must have been another person on board somewhere. Someone they missed. Of course, the engineer. That didn't matter now, he had to stop them. They wouldn't be trying to escape if the overload was real.

Out smarted by a female, intolerable. At least she was dead now. Time to see too it here friends joined her. 'Bring us around, weapons to bare. Blast them out of space!' Shank shouted, quickly the two crew members with him snapped to work. He looked down as a small light began to flash on his controls.

Jamming his claw on the switch the screen was overlaid with the communication. 'You won't escape.' He hissed, conscious of his tail swinging behind him in rage. It stopped in shock the instant he saw who was calling.

'This isn't been your best day has it. Have you been right about one thing yet?' The infernal woman smiled happily.

Shank glared at the burn mark on her clothes, there must have been some form of armour hidden underneath it. 'How did you fake the power overload?' he glanced at the power readout. It showed the ship's core was ready to explode.

But that smile of her's unsettled him, she couldn't be fooling his sensors. No, what would she get out of that. There were no weapons on their ship and they weren't facing the right direction to ram the warship. In fact it was more like they were going to run. But where and how with a reactor on over...

It came to him. A power shunt, a physical link between the Proto-mix core and the hyperdrive. If it could take that sort of a sudden charge they'd be catapulted away at impossible speeds. The overload diverted to the hyperdrive at the last moment. 'Fire main weapons!' Shank shouted.

'Yes warlord!' The weapons officer saluted and fired.

On the screen the female waved; 'Bye!' Before half the command exploded.

The problem was it wasn't her command, it was his. The weapons controls detonated spectacularly, showering the room in electrical discharges and components. Lights flickered, probably throughout the whole ship. The last thing Shank saw before everything burnt out was the waving female and the ship lurch into hyperdrive.

* * *

Harlen was thrown over the controls as the Christa stopped just as quickly as she had launched. The only two people that were left standing was Radu with that Andromedan biology of his and their saviour. Whatever biology she had.

Harlen knew he wasn't the smartest cadet in the Starcadamy, he'd never admit it though. Still he could tell this girl was no special Star Dog Commando, no human was like this, even with bio-enhancements.

'What just happened? First we were... then we were... then you... then the...' Miss Davenport started. Harlen had no idea how long the hysterical teacher had been awake, the fact she hadn't talked until now was amazing.

Rosie was untying her. 'It's okay Miss Davenport, we're safe now. At least I think we are.' The tiny girl looked up. 'urm. We will be safe won't we?'

Jenny smiled. 'We're fine. Catalina and Suzee helped me rig the core to shut down after the overload pulse.'

Harlen had no idea what that meant but Bova picked up on something she said. 'Suzee, you do know she's not real. Just Cat's imaginary friend, right?'

She didn't. 'What's an imaginary friend?'

'Someone you make up.' Harlen explained. 'Like when you're lonely and you want someone to talk to you imagine a friend to keep you company. There's no one really there.'

Jenny just looked at them all like they were the one's that were crazy. 'I still don't understand. If they're not there how does she talk to them?'

'She thinks she is. It's kind of hard to explain' Harlen pointed out. The discussion was getting them nowhere. 'What exactly just happened to get us out of there?' he asked her.

She shrugged. 'We tricked him. While he was up here with you people we three, I'm counting Suzee, did some modifications to the Proto-Mix core. We made it look like it was going to overload and turned off all the safety systems.'

'Just look like?' Radu asked.

It was the Commander that answered; 'But you linked the core to the hyperdrive engine.'

"I've got a knack with them I guess.' she shrugged absently.

The Commander grinned and turned to the rest of them. 'When the power hit a certain point it was all dumped into the hyperdrive, throwing us out here faster than we ever could otherwise. What I don't understand is why here? Why that course.'

'Because this is where we're meeting up with Catalina.' Jenny shrugged. 'We sneaked on board the Spung ship, played about with their power core, rescued Elmira then she, Suzee and Catalina all escaped on that interceptor.'

'I think my head just exploded.' Bova whispered in awe.

The Commander was just as shocked; 'You... you did all that?' That's impossible!'

'I had help.' she shrugged. 'I couldn't have done it without Catalina. She knew her way around the Proto-mix core better than I ever could.'

'No.' the Commander shook his head walking up to her. 'That's not what I meant. You can't have got the distance, velocity or location right in that amount of time. We'll be lucky if we've ended up in sensor range of the right sector. Throwing that much power into the hyperdrive at once, we could literally be anywhere.'

'We're not anywhere.' the young woman pointed out. 'We are here, where we are supposed to be.'

'You can't know that and now Catalina is lost in space. Somewhere out...'

The Commander was probably going to say "there" but Radu interrupted from the navigation console. 'Err Commander, Spung interceptor. It's come out of hyperdrive right on top of us.'

'What?' He shouted, jaw dropping to the deck.

Harlen looked at the proximity sensor on his board. 'Any closer and it would have hit us Commander.' He pointed out as the radio crackled.

'Whoo, it worked. Jenny you are a genius!' Catalina called out. 'Hey guys, we're heading for the docking bay. Elmira isn't looking too well.'

Their guest just smiled at them.

Seth helped Radu and Harlen carry the sleeping Sprung female to the medical room. Rosie picked up a hand sensor and used it almost as soon as they put the woman on the bed. 'I think I'm reading this right.' Rosie said frowning. 'It says she needs food and sleep.'

'Probably malnourished.' Seth agreed professionally. It was redundant but he was still the Commander here. 'If anyone was familiar with Spung biology I'd suggest a leaching system to purify her blood.'

'They did drug her.' Catalina pointed out. 'But neither Suzee or I know what to do.'

'What about our...' Seth looked around. 'Where'd she go? Their guest had disappeared.

'We've got to find her.' Harlen spun on the spot, half the crew were almost out the door already.

'In a minute' Seth held his hand up to stop them. 'be careful. we still don't know who she is or what. All we do know is she's good, at just about everything and don't forget what happened when THELMA tried to identify her species.'

'Commander.' Catalina stretched his title out, 'She's on our side, we never would have escaped without her.'

Seth frowned at her 'That's another thing, how did she calculate that jump? It should have taken a quark level quantum computer at least an hour.'

'I don't know' the young mechanic shrugged. 'She just too one look at the controls and... guessed.'

'That's just... not possible.' Seth said to himself. Shaking his head to dislodge the impossibility, they had to find her. 'Right we need to split up into pairs. Radu and Catalina, Harlen and Bova. You four find Jenny, Miss Davenport will stay here with Rosie.

'Wh... What about you?' Davenport stuttered, glancing nervously at Elmira.

'I'm going to repair THELMA and see what I can find out about Jenny from her. Meet me back at the command post when you find her, or not in about ten minutes.'

* * *

Jenny didn't know the first thing about medicine. She could set a field splint if she had to, or wrap a bandage but when it came to what had happened to Elmira she was totally out of her depth. She would have just been underfoot and took the opportunity to slip away.

For some reason the Commander couldn't quite understand that she had guessed the distances and speed. It wasn't that hard, she was able to look at the Christa's engines and just know that they could take it the overload and knew just how far it would carry them. It was just a matter of picking a course and sending both the interceptor and the Christa in the same direction. That whole part of the plan was easy. The difficult bit was rigging the Warship's weapons to disable the Spung ship without them knowing.

That was why she had to be captured. To make them think she never had time to prepare something. It was a risk, but so much fun! Running, rewiring, fighting, out thinking, Jenny had never felt so alive.

Now though she felt restless. This was why her father never stayed still. There was always another adventure around the corner. The temptation to just jump in her shuttle and find the next one was almost too much.

She couldn't leave now though, her shuttle needed to recharge, but there was something else. Something bugging her. Like she hadn't quite finished. After slipping away from the group Jenny went exploring the ship.

Well exploring wasn't the right word. When she had been darting from room to room with Catalina she had found what Catalina called the library. A room full of old, hard bound, books piled on a table and data pads scattered over the floor. It was a mess and not the sort of mess you find after an attack. Jenny could tell it was a lived in mess, the sort that develops when you need something quickly and push everything else to one side.

At her feet was data pad. Picking up the robust little computer Jenny turned it around in her hands. She had never seen one before but the information given to her by The Machine that created her told her what it was. Alright so it wasn't exactly like the one she knew of but it had a screen, tiny keypad and was just a bit bigger than her hand. Tapping the keypad woke it up and it didn't take her long to find her way around it's index.

It was a text on hyperspace theory, a bit simple and missing the really fun stuff although Jenny wasn't sure how she knew that. There was another pad next to it, it had a lot more depth but still missing things. She didn't know what but all the equations were missing something, they worked but there was one or two vital parts missing.

At the end of the second pad Jenny found an authors note. The writers that had collected all the information admitted there were gaps and that people were still researching these anomalies. Jenny thought over the calculations and felt a jarring certainty that they were wrong, not enough to be dangerous but you couldn't use them for long distances. It was curious that she had a better grasp of hyperspace than people who had studied it for decades.

Shrugging the thought off Jenny put the second pad down and decided to try a book. There was something ageless and solid about information in books, their weight, the feel of the paper on her fingers. Sitting down at the table Jenny opened the first one she could reach. It was on Earth's history a time called the industrial revolution.

Pictures of cunning machines with intricate gears and pulleys. Vast engines running on nothing but the power of falling water. They were beautiful.

From there Jenny leaped from book to book, soaking up information like a sponge. History, biology, thousands of creatures from more than a dozen inhabited worlds. There was so much bound before her and even that wasn't a drop in the ocean of knowledge that was out there.

Jenny knew there was so much more. This was but a tiny corner of the universe and even these books had gaps. Jenny could feel it, there was something inside, a deep instinct to learn everything that could be learnt. She could tell it came from the same place her hatred of killing originated. Her people must have been great learners.

The three part door opened with a bleep 'Ahh I thought you'd be here.' It was Catalina with her long haired friend. 'The Commander's worried about you.'

'What are you doing in here?' The other one asked looking around.

It was a stupid question but when she looked around Jenny realised she'd not only read almost everything in the room but tidied them up. All in separate piles in some sort of circle around her chair. Blinking she recognised it, a glyph. Unthinkingly she had written it with the discarded books. It had two meanings one way it read "wisdom" in another "seek" They were the same thing really. Then she knew what language it was in.

Instantly she knew it wasn't English but something else. 'Gallifreyan.' she found herself muttering.

He took a step forward 'What? What did you say?'

Catalina frowned, 'What's wrong Radu?'

'What she just said, what did you call it?'

Jenny looked up. 'Gallifreyan. I know it, I know every language ever written. I just don't know how. I think it's to do with my dad.'

'I've heard that word before, when I was in the hatchery.' Radu said, his voice approaching awe. 'My people enslaved by the Spung. When... when we were freed an elder came to the hatchery with the news. It was scorching hot and they almost died to reach us but he survived, said a doctor had come from Gallifrey. Nothing more. When I asked what that meant he told me not to worry.'

'The Doctor?' Jenny brightened. 'That's him, my dad. He's called the Doctor.'

'Suzee, what's wrong?' Catalina asked the wall. After a moment in which Jenny guessed the invisible girl answered Catalina blanched. 'Suzee's terrified, but she won't say why. What is it?' There was another pause. 'I think we need to talk with the Commander.' Jenny stepped over the books and followed them out of the room.

The Commander was in the command post, repairing the android. As the three of them, or four depending on how you looked at it, entered he took a step back. 'THELMA, are you active?'

The golden robot tested it's arms and rolled it's shoulders. 'Yes. But I need time for internal repairs.'

'We found her.' Radu pointed out causing the Commander to jump.

'Ahh good.' He gave her an evaluating look. 'We never got past the introductions. I'm Commander Seth Goddard, you're Jenny.'

'That's me.'

He gave her a shrewd look. 'Not to seem ungrateful but since you've come on board we've been attacked, shocked, held hostage, threatened and rescued. An exiting day. Just before that there was something strange, THELMA tried to identify your race and had her memory erased.'

That was a shock, if someone had gone to the trouble of setting that up that meant they must have known she was coming. Jenny said as much.

'That's a worrying thought.' Goddard agreed, Jenny could tell she had instantly grasped something that had never occurred to them. 'You think someone knew you were coming and got to THELMA? It's a stretch.'

The android tilted it's head. 'There are gaps in my memory banks.'

Jenny shrugged at that, gaps were gaps but there was still a chance whoever put those gaps there left something. 'Alright, well what do you know about a world called Gallifrey.' It was her one clue, well there was one other but she had already been warned not to reveal that fact.

THELMA stood up and walked over to a console. 'There is no planet called Gallifrey on record.'

'Well it was a long shot...' Catalina stared to say before something flickered on screen and the android started talking again:-

'Gallifrey, also known in legend as the Shining World of the Seven Systems. Home of the Time Lords. There is no such race.' There was something about the way she talked. Like there was two conflicting pieces of information, one saying that it did exist the other that it didn't.

'Time Lords?' the Commander asked to Jenny's concern. 'Who are they?'

'They are a legends, rumours and myths. Found in the histories of long extinct peoples.' THELMA supplied.

For a long moment no one said anything, just looking at each other and then at Jenny. For her part Jenny was more than a little confused. If her people were only a legend then what did that make her.

'Wow, that's dramatic.' Harlen said finally. 'But what does it mean?'

Jenny was about to admit she didn't know when three hollow taps rang across the Command Post. 'Hello. Up here.' Jenny instantly recognised the voice. 'I might be able to help there.'

There was a man on the screen with a wide smile and wild hair looking down on them. 'Dad.' Jenny beamed back.

* * *

End Chapter four


	6. Chapter Five

Child in Time  
Chapter Five

Authors note:-

Alright I admit, I'm stealing whole sale from the Doctor Who episode Blink. However the Tenth Doctor has previous examples of leaving messages, in one form or another, for his friends.

There is another reason I've brought the Doctor into the story, even if it's just for a cameo, and you'll find out what that is later.

Also, panel beating your own head with your keyboard is not a good way of defeating writers block. Other than discovering that you really should clean your keyboard once every so often the only real result is an odd cracking sound every time you press the shift key...

Finally you may have to forgive me, I've seen the end of the US version of Life on Mars and all passion for the whole genre has been SUCKED out of me. It was a god damn metaphor you yank morons. There isn't a Red Dwarf slaying dragons next to Dave Lister. Blake's seven, there was only six of them. The Doctor's name isn't Who. Please get the bloody point next time you want to rip off one of our classics!

* * *

Harlen and Bova met up with Rosie and Miss Davenport just outside the Command Post. 'Any luck?' Rosie asked.

'It's like she vanished.' Harlen shrugged, 'Her shuttle's still here though.'

Bova threw his hands in the air. 'For whatever that means. She hid from a whole army of Spung, on their own ship. What chance do we have finding her?'

'Well I for one know we're better off without her.' Miss Davenport folded her arms. 'All she's done is disrupt the ship and got us all in danger.'

'And then get us out of it.' Rosie pointed out as they went inside.

The blonde woman was there with Radu, Cat and the Commander. They were looking at a strange man on the main screen. 'Jenny,' He said in an English accent, with a twinge of sorrow. 'There is so much I want to tell you. So much you have to know. And I can't. There are laws of time for a reason. I can't bend them anymore than I have. Otherwise I could destroy three quarters of the universe. Or worse.' He smiled 'Exciting isn't it?'That wasn't what Harlen would call it. He hoped the man was joking.

The man on the screen continued 'If I knew you had survived I never would have left without you. I waited, but there was no sign of regeneration. I didn't know and I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.'

'Know what?' she asked, but it was like he already knew she was going to ask that.

'The Source. You caught a lung full of it as you died. The chemicals interacted with dormant genes you inherited from me. Jenny, children of my people, our people, are not born with the powers of full Time Lords. They have to be activated.'

'And the Source did just that.' Jenny said, 'But why are you sorry?' Somehow she was carrying out a conversation with a recording.

'You have to understand, when I said you were an echo, all that has changed. You are a Time Lady, with all the power and instincts of your people, but none of the knowledge. That's how you survived, the gasses gave you the power of regeneration.'

'What does that mean?' She asked again.

Cat tapped her on the shoulder. 'It's just a recording, he can't hear you.'

'Well, sort of.' He chuckled, almost answering. No, to Harlen's shock he was answering. 'When Jenny does catch up with me, finally, she'll tell me that I left this for her. Or that I will.'

"That's not possible.' The Commander almost shouted looking up. 'You'd have to travel in time to do that.'

'Time is a lot more... yes, well, that would just confuse all of you even more. The point is that I am a time traveller. I went back to leave this message to help. 'Oh this was so much easier when I had an auto-cue. Jenny I can't stay long so you have to listen. You're a Time Lady. That means you have a responsibility, powers that you are only just learning about. They are dangerous, but you have to trust your instincts. If your not careful the damage you can do is... well let's just say you should really be careful.'

The man on the screen smiled again. 'I'll tell you this much, you're going to love it.' He laughed, Jenny laughed with him as he stepped away from what ever he had recorded the message with.

After a moment the jumped back 'Oh yes, forgot. I've left something for you. THELMA here's just got to get it for you. Good luck.' then finally the screen went blank and shifted back to normal.

* * *

The android came back into the room after a couple of minutes. Jenny and everyone had been so preoccupied watching the video that they never saw her leave. When she did come back she had a small box. 'This is yours.' she said handing Jenny the box.

'Is that some sort of writing?' Catalina pointed at the hand written note on the side.

Harlen came up. 'Looks Greek to me.' he laughed.

'It's old' Jenny said turning it around in her hand, tracing the pen lines with her finger. 'I... I think I understand it.'

'Well what's it say?' Asked Catalina.

'Something about minds, an affinity for time. About feeling time as if... I don't know.' Opening the box Jenny found a dull copper bracelet with a strange double spiral embossed onto it. 'This is something called a Time Ring. It's supposed to be a replacement for my shuttle.'

The Commander of the ship came up to her. 'How can a bangle be a replacement for a space capable shuttle-craft?'

The bracelet felt strange. Warm, but not hot. It was more a deep rich warmth coming from within it. Gently Jenny blew on the symbol and the whole thing trembled. 'It's alive.' she gasped before looking up. 'My shuttle's only short range, there's not enough supplies or power for a long trip. This, this is so much more powerful. It can take me anywhere.'

'Anywhere?' Catalina and Radu said at the same time

'You mean back home, back to the Starcadamy?' Rosie asked.

Jenny smiled at the youngest girl there. 'I can't. I think that's what dad was trying to tell me, and he's right.'

Miss Davenport, the teacher, was the first to react. 'You mean you can take us all back with that thing and you won't!'

'It's just not possible.' The Commander insisted. Even if that was a matter-transmitter you'd need some kind of beacon to home in on. Otherwise...'

'Hey.' Jenny held both hands up, finding the bracelet slipping onto her wrist easily. 'I don't pretend to understand this. I just know. No, know is the wrong word. I feel it. You all have so much to do.' Once again, just like when she met Catalina and they had hid in the ships lounge ,Jenny wasn't seeing the Christa's crew. She was seeing what they could become. She saw how each jagged destiny slotted perfectly with those around it, becoming a whole.

Laughing Jenny took it all in, ignoring their worried looks she knew what it meant. The last thing she needed to do here had been done. 'Oh my friends, don't worry. You might get back eventually, but that's not home. This is your home.'

'Are you alright?' Rosie asked

'I saw her like this before. Suzee thinks she's seeing something we can't.' Catalina explained.

Jenny nodded. 'That's exactly it. It's part of the powers Dad was talking about. Trust me when I say you'll all see what I mean. Eventually.' She touched the band as it quivered slightly, whispering a soft hum. 'I'll see you all again.'

The hum pulsed louder, cycling. 'What is that?' Radu asked as it got louder and Jenny felt something pulling her away, like the gentle changing of a tide. While the pulse grew louder the Christa grew fainter until it disappeared all together.

Jenny didn't know what to expect when flying through the Time Vortex without a ship. Falling backwards through a swirling blue tunnel wasn't it though.

* * *

End Child in Time

Authors postscript:-  
That was why I brought in the Doctor. So that, later, when I add new stories to this series I don't have to come up with unconvincing big swirly things to deposit Jenny into a story with.

In all seriousness, if you have a chance, see if you can dig up some episodes of Space Cases. It was a good show, especially if you remember what age range it was aimed at and when. It only lasted two seasons, which was a shame, and what was made should be seen.

Thomas Fishwick  
AKA Mountain King


End file.
